Unstoppable
by MusicRomanza
Summary: New beginnings and old feelings will fuse together the summer after the trio's final year at Hogwarts and two lives will be changed forever. RH
1. Last Ride

"How can he sleep on our last ride on the Hogwarts Express?" Hermione asked Harry, who was shuffling through his Quidditch magazine.  
  
Harry looked up, "You know Ron," he said, "he can sleep through a tornado."  
  
"But it's our last ride!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.  
  
Harry sighed, "Then wake him up. We're almost to the station anyways."  
  
Hermione shifted closer to Ron, who was leaning his head against the window of their car.  
  
"Ron," she whispered, frowning when he didn't wake up.  
  
Harry chuckled, "You're going to have to do better than that, Hermione."  
  
Hermione turned back to Ron and thought for a moment.  
  
"Ron!" she yelled, pinching his left arm.  
  
Ron bolted upright, "Ouch! What was that for?!" he exclaimed.  
  
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and bit her lip. "I didn't think you'd want to miss our last ride on the Hogwarts Express," she said sweetly.  
  
"Well you didn't have to pinch me," Ron said, rubbing his left arm where her fingers had left a mark.  
  
Hermione smiled and batted her eyelashes, knowing that Ron could not stay mad at her if she put on her innocent act. It worked. Ron's face softened and he smiled back at her.   
  
"I'll be back soon," Harry started, "I'm going to go see if I can find Neville." Ron thought that he saw a smirk cross Harry's face as he left the compartment.  
  
Ron and Hermione sat in silence for a few minutes before Hermione said, "I cannot believe that we're not coming back to Hogwarts in a couple months."  
  
Ron closed his hand over hers, the sudden embrace causing her breath to catch in her throat.  
  
"I know," he said.  
  
"No more platform 9 ¾, no more sorting ceremonies, no more--"  
  
"No more us," Ron interrupted.  
  
Hermione looked down at her hand that he had let go of. She felt a shiver run down her spine and turned to look up at him.  
  
"We're still going to talk," she said desperately.  
  
Ron gazed down at her, "Yeah, but we'll be in two different worlds. You'll be so busy with your healer training at St. Mungo's that you won't have time to talk to me."  
  
"I can't believe that after everything we've gone through, you think that I won't keep in touch," Hermione said, sounding hurt.  
  
Ron had noticed the pain in her voice and turned his face to look down upon hers. Her eyes were brimming with tears that made her brown eyes sparkle. He loved her. He loved her more than anything. His love for her intensified every time he looked into her big beautiful eyes.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that," Ron stated, "I just meant that we'll both be doing our own thing, leading new lives, and we won't be able to see each other as much."  
  
Hermione stood up. "I guess you mean more to me than I mean to you, Ronald Weasley! I wouldn't let a new schedule and change of location keep me from being with my best friend." Having said that, Hermione stormed out of the compartment, leaving Ron sitting there with a bemused look on his freckled face.  
  
Half an hour later, the Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross and the train doors slid open. Hermione had not returned to the compartment that Harry and Ron were in , finding that she would much rather sit with Ginny, Luna, and Neville. Students filed out of the train in search of their parents and other relatives, including Harry and Ron.   
  
"Are you coming?" Harry asked Ron, pointing in the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.  
  
Ron looked behind him then back to Harry. "No, you go ahead, I'll be there in a minute."   
  
Harry strode off towards Ron's parents, and Ron thought he heard Harry mutter something like, "Good luck, Weasley."  
  
Ron watched Hermione step off of the train with Ginny and Neville, and walked over to them.  
  
"I need to talk to you," he said, pulling her away by the arm.  
  
"What's to talk about?"   
  
"Us. We can't leave mad at each other," Ron said.  
  
"Ron," Hermione sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I'm not mad at you, I'm hurt.  
  
Ron shuffled nervously and fidgeted with his shirt. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Mione."  
  
"I know you didn't," Hermione said. "But the truth is, you were right. Things will be different between us."  
  
Having said that, Hermione lifted her hand to rest on his shoulder, leaned upwards, and kissed him on the cheek  
  
"Goodbye, Ron," Hermione said softly, then she turned around and began walking towards her parents.  
  
Ron touched the spot on his cheek that tingled from her kiss. He was about to reach out for her when he was bombarded by his freckled, red-haired older brothers.  
  
The feast at the Burrow that night in celebration of Harry and Ron's graduation from Hogwarts was a grandiose event. Mrs. Weasley had prepared all sorts of food and Harry, Ginny, and the Weasley boys had entertained themselves with a game of Quidditch after dinner. Ron, however, was too preoccupied with his stream of thoughts to join in on the fun.   
  
"How could she just walk away from what we had?" he asked himself. He was lying on his back on his bed looking at his ceiling.  
  
"Who am I kidding?" he sighed, shifting to his side. "We didn't even have anything going on between us."  
  
As the laughter and voices of the inhabitants of the Burrow diminished, Ron pretended to be asleep when Harry entered Ron's bedroom and got ready for bed. Ron was not in the mood to discuss what had happened between him and Hermione earlier that day, even though it was obvious that something was troubling him.  
  
After several minutes of listening to Harry's even breathing and the tick-tock of the clock on the wall, Ron silently crept out of bed and descended down to the Weasley kitchen. Two gingerbread cookies and a glass of pumpkin juice later, Ron made himself comfortable on the couch in the living room.  
  
"Doesn't she realize how much I care about her?" Ron asked himself silently. Thoughts of the last seven years at Hogwarts flashed before Ron's eyes. Hermione had always been right by his side whenever he needed her, which was more often than she realized. She was there for him when he sacrificed himself so Harry could capture the Sorcerer's Stone. She was there for him when Ginny was taken into the Chamber of Secrets and he had been so worried about her. She was always right by his bed in the hospital wing when he was injured. Ron always saw her beautiful face first in the stands at Quidditch games, cheering loudly just for him.  
  
Lastly, before drifting off to sleep, Ron replayed their first kiss that happened last summer. It was the kiss that changed Ron's feelings for Hermione, and ultimately, changed his life. 


	2. First Kiss

It was the summer of the intolerably cruel heat. Harry and Hermione had come to visit Ron and Ginny at the Burrow two weeks before the term started and the four of them had kept cool thanks to frozen pumpkin juice and swimming in the nearby lake.  
  
"Jump in!" Ron yelled.  
  
"No!" Hermione and Ginny yelled back in unison, their legs dangling off the pier, leaning back on their elbows.  
  
Ron looked at Harry, who was treading water next to him, and gave him a furtive smile. Harry nodded, grinning from ear to ear, letting Ron know that he understood his intentions.  
  
At once, Harry and Ron grabbed Ginny and Hermione by the ankles and pulled them into the water. The girls' heads immediately surfaced and began yelling at Harry and Ron.  
  
"You git! I'm going to kill you!" Ginny yelled at Harry, then tried to catch him as he swam away from the group.  
  
"You'll have to catch me first!" Harry yelled over his shoulder.  
  
"That was loathsome!" Hermione yelled at Ron, while trying to stay afloat. She tried to yell more, but her head kept dipping underwater and she only managed to sputter a few words.  
  
Hermione grasped onto Ron's shoulder with both hands in an attempt to stay afloat. He slipped his arm around her waist and swam to the shore, towing her along with him. When they reached the sand that surrounded the embankment, Ron and Hermione sat next to each other in silence.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mione," Ron finally said. "I didn't know you can't swim."  
  
Hermione laughed and sifted a handful of sand through her delicate fingers. "I never took the time to learn how. I guess you can't learn everything from a book."  
  
"I could teach you how."  
  
Hermione raised her head and looked at Ron. "Really?" she asked, surprised.  
  
Ron's ears turned as crimson as his hair. "Of course."  
  
"Come on, guys. Lunch is ready!" Ron heard Ginny shout as she and Harry scurried up to the Burrow.  
  
Ron stood up and offered his hand to assist Hermione, which she accepted. Hermione brushed the sand off of her legs and could feel Ron's eyes on her. When she glanced up at him she could have sworn that his mouth was open and his eyes were wide before he had turned his head, pretending not to have been staring at her. Hermione smiled as she trekked up the hill towards the Burrow.  
  
Dinner was interesting, to say the least. Ron sat with Harry to his right and Hermione to his left and he could not help but notice how Hermione looked that night. She was wearing a white linen dress that tied around her neck, fell to her knees, and clung to her body, accentuating her curves. Her hair had dried and framed her face with golden brown curls and her skin had a healthy glow to it.  
  
Hermione was nervous at dinner that night and she could not figure out why. Her heart was beating fast, her palms were sweating, and she could not sit still. Every once in a while, out of the corner of her eye, she would catch Ron looking at her in a way he never had before. It was not long before their legs had found each other underneath the table. Ron jumped in his seat a little after the initial contact, but he did not dare move his leg away from hers. Her legs were as soft and smooth as silk and contrasted with his muscular legs covered in amber hair.  
  
When dinner was over Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all retreated up to Ron's room where they talked, laughed, and reminisced.   
  
"Remember when Lavender punched Malfoy in the face last year?" The room erupted in laughter.  
  
"That was great!" Ron said, still laughing. "Remember when Hermione was all starry-eyed over Gilderoy Lockhart?" Harry and Ginny clamped their hands over their mouths, trying to contain their laughter.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Hermione began. "Remember when Ron couldn't manage to say a comprehensible sentence when Fleur Delacour was in sight?" Harry and Ginny couldn't contain their laughter anymore, and rolled around on the floor, tears flowing freely.  
  
"She was a veela!" he yelled. "I couldn't help it!"  
  
"Anyone remember the Yule Ball?" Ginny asked, knowing that she was treading on dangerous ground.  
  
The room went silent and glances were exchanged between Harry and Ginny.  
  
"No." Ron said abruptly as he left his bedroom.  
  
Harry and Ginny had played a game of Quidditch in the backyard before retiring in the living room. Hermione had lost herself in a book and was about to go downstairs when she looked out of Ginny's bedroom window to the lake. She saw a hint of red hair and a splash emanate from the center of the lake.  
  
Ron was floating on his back with his eyes closed, then he opened them to find a shadowed figure standing in the sand on the side of the lake.  
  
"Bloody hell!" he shouted.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione yelled, placing her hands on her hips.  
  
Ron swam to the shore and walked out to meet Hermione in the sand. He was taken by surprise at her attire. She was wearing a different bathing suit than earlier that day. It was a light blue bikini that tied around her neck and at her hips. Ron was only wearing the dark red shorts that he had on at dinner, with black boxers underneath of them that were peeking out of the top of his shorts.  
  
"Come for a late night swim?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"Sort of," Hermione said. "I seem to remember you saying that you would teach me how to swim."  
  
"Oh, yes. Of course!" Ron responded. He took her by the hand and they waded out into the water until Hermione could not touch the bottom anymore. At that point, Ron picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her out farther until he the water was up to his neck.  
  
"Ready to go out farther?" he asked.  
  
Hermione looked around her at the dark water. "No." she answered.  
  
Ron chuckled. "That's fine, Mione."  
  
Hermione suddenly noticed that he was holding onto her very tightly and she blushed, hoping he could not see her crimson tint from the moonlight.  
  
"Mione," Ron began, "what was going on at dinner? I've never known you to be so…friendly…with me."  
  
Hermione was positive that he could see her intensely scarlet face now. "It was the heat," she lied. "It makes everyone do crazy things."  
  
"I didn't think it was crazy," he said. "I liked it."  
  
"Really?" Hermione asked, sounding excited.  
  
Ron looked into her eyes. "How could I not?" he asked.  
  
Hermione was about to say something that would explain her actions at the dinner table, but she was cut off.  
  
"I've was wondering when I'd finally get you all to myself," he said, staring deep into her brown eyes. Hermione's heart was beating out of control as Ron bent his neck so his face was inches from hers. Hermione pulled herself up with her arms that were wrapped around her neck to bring her face closer to his. Finally, after what felt like hours, their lips met and tingled with the excitement.   
  
"This is better than winning the Quidditch World Cup," Ron thought to himself.  
  
"This is better than discovering the Hogwarts, A History special edition," Hermione thought to herself.  
  
Their lips parted and their tongues mingled together as Hermione readjusted her position so that her legs were now wrapped around Ron's waist. She ran her hands down his shoulders and arms and placed his hands around her waist. Ron pulled her closer to him and she ran her fingers through his silky wet hair and he moaned in pleasure. Finally, their lips parted and Ron threw his head back and closed his eyes.   
  
"That was brilliant," he murmured.  
  
"Ron?" Hermione asked, resting her forehead on his bare chest.  
  
"Yes?" he replied, out of breath.  
  
"I still don't know how to swim," Hermione giggled.  
  
Ron pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. "Alright. Let's start with the basics…" 


	3. Fresh Start

A week had passed since the Hogwarts Express had pulled into King's Cross and Hermione Granger was so busy with making her arrangements for her scheduled move to St. Mungo's healer training program that she hardly had time to think of anything else. However, she managed to find time to think about Ron.   
  
"He's so stubborn," she thought aloud. "Stubborn, hot-tempered, difficult, adorable, caring, sweet…" Hermione stopped when she realized that she had gotten off track. She continued to pack her clothes and belongings into her suitcases until she was too tired to go on, and she fell asleep.  
  
Hermione barely had time to make it to the cafeteria at St. Mungo's before she was pulled down the hallway by a group of fellow residents.  
  
"Hermione! Come quickly!" one young woman said to Hermione.  
  
Hermione had to run to keep up with the group. "What's going on?" she asked the man running next to her.  
  
"There's a Quidditch player from the Chudley Canons in the emergency room. He was knocked out by a Bludger and the Chief of Staff wants all the new residents to see how to deal with Quidditch injuries."  
  
Hermione's stomach plummeted at his reply. "Please, no," she thought to herself. The group of residents rounded the corner and entered the emergency room. Hermione, her heart pounding, pushed her way to front of the group and screamed.  
  
"RON!" she cried.  
  
"Bloody Hell!" Ron yelled. "Watch your position!"  
  
Two weeks after leaving Hogwarts Ron began training for the Chudley Canons. The Canons had been scouting for a new Keeper and offered Ron the position during his last year at Hogwarts.  
  
Ron swooped to the left and sent an oncoming Quaffle to the other end of the field.  
  
"Brilliant, Ron," yelled a teammate.  
  
After two hours the team manager blew his whistle and yelled, "Take a break, guys. There's water in the team lounge."  
  
The players exited the field and retired to the lounge. Ron collapsed into the closest armchair.  
  
"Nice blocking, Ron," the team captain said, patting Ron on the back.  
  
Ron's face lit up. "Thanks, mate," he replied, grinning.  
  
Several minutes passed as the teammates rested, talked, and laughed. The conversation went from Quidditch to recreation to women.  
  
"My wife is driving me crazy. This whole week has been a nightmare," one team member said soberly.  
  
"Wait until you guys have your first kid," another team member chimed in. "You'll be running all over the place trying to please her." A couple of the guys chuckled and a flurry of "That's the truth" and "Living Hell" could be heard.  
  
"What about you, Ron?" the team Seeker asked, nudging Ron. "Got a special lady waiting for you at home?" One teammate playfully punched Ron's arm and another teammate whistled.  
  
"Not anymore," Ron replied, looking down at his feet.  
  
"We've all had our problems with the opposite sex," one of the Beaters said, trying to lighten the mood. "They're impossible!" he added. The team laughed and then made their way out to the Quidditch pitch.  
  
The Quaffle was on the opposite side of the field and Ron had taken the free time to think of Hermione and their predicament. He was so engrossed in his own mind that he didn't hear his teammates yelling at him.  
  
"Ron! Look out!" he finally heard, but it was too late. The Bludger hit him in the side of the head and sent him spiraling to the ground.  
  
"What happened?!" Hermione cried.  
  
The Chief of Staff spoke softly and sternly. "He was hit by a stray Bludger in the side of the head. He fell 50 feet and has broken 3 ribs, his left wrist, and he is unconscious."  
  
Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she tried to hold them back, but when the other residents were dismissed her tears flowed freely. She leaned over the bed and brushed a chunk of Ron's hair off of his face. The blood on his freckled face had been washed off but Hermione took notice of the deep cut on his cheek.  
  
"Oh Ron," she whispered. She sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand in hers, turned it over, and planted a kiss in his palm. She stayed with him a long time until she was called for duty at the nurses' station.  
  
Later that night, when the other residents were sound asleep, Hermione snuck over to the wing at St. Mungo's where Ron was. His room was dark and cold and Ron appeared to still be unconscious.   
  
Ron heard someone enter his room and figured it was a nurse or janitor. He was about to drift back to sleep when he heard Hermione's voice.  
  
"I wish you could hear me," he heard her say.  
  
Ron's pulse quickened. "She doesn't know that I awoke earlier today," he thought to himself. He decided to keep his eyes closed and remain still.  
  
He almost jumped when her hand brushed his cheek in a loving embrace.  
  
Hermione sighed. "Ron you have me worried sick," she began. "When I first saw you lying there I didn't know what to think. I couldn't go on without you." After saying that, Hermione leaned down and kissed Ron on the cheek. Ron wanted so badly to grab her and pull her back for a more passionate kiss, but he knew that she would be furious if she found out he was only pretending to be unconscious. Hermione pulled his blankets up farther on his chest and placed her hand on his upper arm.  
  
"Wow," she breathed. "Did you have these before your training started?" she chuckled, gently squeezing his bicep.  
  
It took everything in Ron's power to stifle a grin. "Excellent," he thought.  
  
"Goodnight, Ron," Hermione said before exiting his room.  
  
"Goodnight, my love," Ron whispered back after she had left.  
  
Hermione awoke early and shuffled over to Ron's room where she found him in exactly the same position as the night before. She did not have time to check on him because she had to make her rounds throughout St. Mungo's.   
  
Hermione's day passed quickly, thanks to her busy schedule, but she had not found time to stop in at Ron's room until after dinner. She was surprised to find his bed empty and his belongings gone.  
  
"Where is this patient?" she asked the janitor that was folding the bed sheets.  
  
The old man answered, "I do believe he was dismissed, madam."  
  
Hermione could feel the hot tears prickle behind her eyes and a lump of heartache rise in her throat. She walked slowly back to her room, ready to cry herself to sleep.  
  
However, about twenty yards before she reached her room she caught sight of a traill of rose petals that had been strewn across the floor, leading all the way to her door. She ran to her door and pushed it open quickly. Her heart leaped when she spotted Ron sitting in her armchair next to her desk. The bed and floor were covered with rose petals and the overhead light had been dimmed.  
  
"Ron, I was so worried when I saw you yesterday and then today when I went to--"   
  
Ron stood up. "Hermione," he interrupted as he made his way over to her in two long strides.  
  
Hermione didn't have time to finish her sentence because Ron had captured her mouth in the most passionate kiss that she had ever dreamed of. He ran his hands up and down her back as he kissed her with avid fervor. Her arms encased his neck and her fingers wove themselves through his silky red hair.  
  
She whimpered his name when he kissed and nibbled at her neck. After several minutes, Ron and Hermione parted and stared into each other's eyes.  
  
"Hermione," Ron started. "I know that we always find something to fight about and I know that I'm usually right--"  
  
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, stepping back.  
  
Ron chuckled and pulled her closer to him "But I also know that no matter how mad I get at you, my love for you is always stronger. I love you, Mione." Ron blushed to the tips of his ears.  
  
A tear rolled down Hermione's cheek and Ron brushed it away with his thumb. "I love you too, Ron," Hermione managed to murmur, before Ron stole her breath away with a kiss that sealed their love for each other. 


End file.
